The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-21
rhe Cholera Scare in New York.

Inc OlOlGTd oCdIO III NCW vi "a
The press of New York is beginning to show
some uneasiness about cholera. The steamer
Britannia arrived at that port few days ago
with over 400 Italian immigrants, nearly all
.of whom came from localities where the
cholera is epidemic. She belongs to the
same line that the Alesia does, and sails
from the same ports A large number Of
the Alesia's immigrants died from cholera
on the VOYAGE and more of them have died
with the sumo disease since their arrival in
this country. All of the survivors are now
quarantined on Swinburne and Hoffman
Islands in New York harbor, and there
they ought to remain until it is safe to per-
nit them to go to New York city and scat
ter over the country.
Although it was known that the Britain
mia had immigrants on board from cholera
infected places she was permitted to go to
the upper quarantine on the statement of
her officers that there was no sickness on
board, and had been none of an infectious
or contagious character during the voyage.
While she remained there no great care APP
pears to have been exercised to prevent
communication between her passengers and
persons from the mainland who
visited her i'll boats on various
errands. After she had been
there day or two the Health officer heard
that there had been, during the voyage,
several deaths. She was at once ordered to
the lower Quarantine, and several of the inn
migrants who were sick were sent to the hos
pital on Swinburne Island. The Health Off
Ger is not prepared to say whether they are
suffering from cholera or not. The symp-
toms are similar TO those of cholera.
There appears to be growing feeling in
New York that the Health Officer is not as
careful as he should be, and that there is
great danger that the disease will be intro
duced into the city.
There does not appear to be any sufficient
reason why immigrants from places in
fected with cholera should be permitted to
come to this country They are not so de
sirable that any risks should be run in their
behalf A cholera epidemic in this
country would destroy thousands
of lives and paralyze business
Surgeon General Hamilton, few days ago,
speaking of the risk there is in permitting
immigrants from places afflicted with
cholera to come to this country. said "that
the world tamely submits to
repeated NEGOTIATIONS of cholera
by another nation, however
friendly, is simply due to the fact that pub
lie sentiment has not yet crystallized. 1t is
certain, however, that if case of cholera
should be discovered in New York public
sentiment in that city would quickly crys-
tallize against permitting any more immi-.
grants from cholera infected places from
coming there. But would not the crystal
lization have taken place too late.
The Philadelphia Medical Netcs does not
have as high opinion of the precautions
taken at the New York quarantine to pre-
vent the cholera from being introduced into
this country as the health authorities of that
city have. 1t says that from what it can
learn about the preventive measures taken
there they should be characterized as dan
gerously lax. The talk of holding the
Health Officer responsible if cholera gets
into New York is the merest nonsense. To
condemn him then would do no good The
proper thing to do is to prevent any persons
from cholera infected localities from land
ing in this country.